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48 hours in... Sheffield

18 October 2016
by Paul Oswell

From the vibrant city centre to the Peak District, C&IT brings you a two-day itinerary with the best of what's on offer in Sheffield.

Leopold Hotel in Yorkshire

DAY ONE

8am: Check in to Kenwood Hall, an upscale hotel set on 12 acres of landscaped grounds. Formerly the private residence of a cutlery tycoon, the house dates back to 1845 and now offers 114 spacious rooms. Refurbished by PH Hotels in 2007, the grounds offer ample space for teambuilding activities and the meeting rooms can accommodate up to 250 people.

10am: Take the morning to explore Sheffield with a privately guided walking tour. The city has a wealth of character to discover, including a hidden medieval side, and an eclectic mix of architectural styles, from the Georgian quarter to the twin Cathedrals and the Victorian town hall through to the vibrant, ultra-modern millennium quarter.

12pm: Grab lunch at Anchorage Bar, which promises contemporary American East coast-style cuisine. Its particular speciality is aged beef, served up as a selection of fine steaks, and locally sourced ingredients abound. Private dining is available for up to 70 people.

2pm: Head for meetings at the Leopold Hotel, the former site of a Grade II-listed boys’ grammar school, and Sheffield’s only four-star boutique hotel. Its four meeting and event suites can host up to 70 people, theatre-style.

7pm: Retire to the newly unveiled terrace area at the Leopold Hotel where a chef will host a private barbecue party for up to 60 people.

8am: Have an early breakfast meeting at Whitley Hall Hotel, a 16th-century mansion in the countryside just 10 minutes’ drive from the city centre. If the weather holds, the gardens and terraces are memorably scenic. Indoors, four meeting spaces can house up to 85 people.

11am: Take the group out of the meeting room and into the stunning Peak District. The True Grit tour offered by Vintage Adventure tours, for instance, is a four-hour walking and bus trip that takes in some of the most iconic Peak District sights. The group, lead by an expert guide, will pass through Castleton, home of the Blue John mineral mines, and through the tranquil Vale of Edale before stopping in Hope for lunch. After that, it’s onto the Ladybower Dam and a short climb up to Stanage Edge, where Keira Knightley famously gazed over the Derwent Valley in the Pride and Prejudice film.

7pm: After some R’n’R back at the hotel, it’s time for the group to brush up and head for dinner at one of the city’s best-loved fine dining restaurants, Marco at Milano. Set in an evocative former Victorian-era police station, the de´cor inside tends towards a more minimalist style, and the high-end Italian menu reflects this.

10pm: Late cocktail at the Picture House Social, a craft cocktail bar in a listed 1920s building that was a billiard hall and ballroom.